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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/27402535">Who He Used To Be</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/FoolishGlint/pseuds/FoolishGlint'>FoolishGlint</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Transformers: Prime</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>M/M, Mild Angst</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-11-05</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-11-05</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-06 21:15:34</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>803</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/27402535</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/FoolishGlint/pseuds/FoolishGlint</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Breakdown gets stuck in a predicament, and he wonders if anyone will save him.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Slight Breakdown/Knock Out/Starscream (Transformers)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>2</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>19</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Who He Used To Be</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>It was supposed to be a simple mission. Supervise the latest mining excursion and check for instability. The tremors were slight, but enough to cause the roof of the cave to come crashing down on them. Breakdown found himself pinned by several large rocks on the other side of the cave in. He attempted to move his limbs, but the pain was too great. The bodies of unfortunate vehicons lay crumpled around him. </p><p>And Breakdown had a disturbing thought; what if no one came for him. The last time he had been in such a predicament, Megatron had made it clear that weakness was not tolerated. And Knockout didn’t have the authority to enlist a squadron of vehicons to dig him out. He was going to die of starvation in a cave on some backwater planet. Breakdown closed his optic in defeat, and accepted his fate.</p><p>Until a sound shook him from his despondency. It sounded like someone was removing the rocks aside with force. Breakdown’s spark surged with hope as the debris cleared way for thin rays of light. The setting sun slowly poured into the cave as more rocks got tossed away. As the wall fell away, Breakdown stared in shock.</p><p>“Starscream?” </p><p>The seeker in question scoffed and strode to where Breakdown lay prone, “What, were you expecting Megatron?”</p><p>“Uh, no sir, but how did you-” Breakdown watched as Starscream lifted the boulders pinning his limbs down and threw them aside.</p><p>“Can you walk?” Starscream asked.</p><p>Breakdown tried to get up but stumbled to the ground in pain.</p><p>“Spare your attempts,” Starscream said, and to Breakdown’s surprise, the lithe seeker half his size bent down and picked him up with little effort. Breakdown blushed as Starscream carried him out the cave, the accompanying vehicons looking just as shocked as he was. The Air Commander’s grip on him was firm, and Breakdown felt like a newly wedded bride. He felt safe, being held felt oddly comforting as they went through the ground-bridge into the Nemesis.</p><p>The vehicons kept sneaking glances at the pair as Starscream walked to the medbay, and Breakdown felt a little silly. What an odd sight, the gangly and thin seeker hoisting around a two ton mech. Starscream entered the medbay, and Knockout looked up from his console and gave a little sly wave.</p><p>The SIC placed Breakdown on the medical berth with an odd tenderness.</p><p>“Well Breakie, looks you got into a bit of trouble,” Knockout spoke with his normal amount of sauciness.</p><p>Breakdown chuckled, “Nothing I can’t handle Doc.”</p><p>“I’m sure that I don’t need to tell you this, but make sure that Breakdown is battle ready as quickly as possible. After all,” Starscream said with an uncharacteristic stoicness, “He is a valuable asset to the Decepticon force.”</p><p>He left the medbay with all the grace of a dignified seeker.</p><p>“So, how’d it feel Breakie.”</p><p>Breakdown blushed, “What do you mean?”</p><p>Knockout smirked.</p><p>“You know what I mean, getting rescued by our prickly commander and having him hold you in a tender embrace.”</p><p>“It’s nothing like that!,” Breakdown’s blush had turned into a full face flush.</p><p>Knockout simply smiled coyly, “You know, I once had the pleasure of Starscream coming to my aid.”</p><p>“You did?” Breakdown couldn’t believe that Knockout had never told him.</p><p>He nodded, “ We were surrounded by Autobots and under heavy fire. We thought we had been left for dead. And out of the smoke and flame, he appeared. Starscream took down thirty Autobots single-handedly. I asked him why he took the risk in saving us, and he told me that we were too valuable to lose.”</p><p>Knockout sighed, as if all that was lain on his shoulders had become all the more cumbersome.</p><p>“In the beginning, Starscream tried to keep all his soldiers alive. Military upbringing you know, taught never to leave a soldier behind. But it was war, and there will always be casualties. The vehicons all looked the same and I believe that Starscream saw it as the same person dying before his optics over and over again. Eventually he became numb to their deaths and barely sees them as people anymore. The numbers don’t matter anymore. The difference between you and Starscream, is that you have not seen the light fade from the same person’s face far too many times.”</p><p>Breakdown looked glum, “I never thought of it like that. He’s changed so much.”</p><p>“Well, people change, Breakdown. It’s in our nature to be affected by the things we experience. No one is the same person they were yesterday. Small differences maybe, but different nonetheless. All those changes and experiences culminate into a person, and yet no matter the metamorphosis, they remain the same person.”</p><p>Knockout frowned slightly.</p><p>“The only question is, did Starscream change for better or for worse.”</p>
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